“Middle Eastern Encounters” is a one-year international MA program run by the Department of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at the University of Haifa as part of the University’s International School. The program is designed to promote a better understanding of religious, cultural, political, and ideological issues in the Middle East. It innovates by combining academic instruction with hands-on exposure to past and contemporary issues affecting the Middle East. The city of Haifa, and the campus of the University of Haifa are a living laboratory where religious and ethnic groups such as Jews, Muslims, Christians and Baha'is, as well as Druze, Bedouin and Circassians live, interact and study side-by-side, thus constituting a micro-cosmos of the Middle East.

The one-year long program includes nine courses and focus mainly on the modern period. It is structured in such a way that students will be able to use the early hours of the day to take language courses in Arabic or Hebrew, and thus better utilize their time in Haifa. The staff is made up of the Department’s experts. Academic field trips are embedded throughout the program. At each site, students will be given a guided tour, a lecture by the local leadership, and engage in discussions with local community members. This will enable the students to learn about the history, present concerns, and visions of these local communities.

In addition, the courses have been planned to provide insights into a range of fields and disciplines, such as sociology, economics, politics, culture, religion and history, to equip the students and future Middle East scholars with the skills needed to analyze and understand events in the modern Middle East. Students will be offered internships in organizations and institutions associated with the topics making up the program to enhance their experience and understanding of communities in northern Israel.

WEB: International Master’s Degree Program in – Middle Eastern Encounters